Third-level education in the Republic of Ireland

thumb|300px|[[Graduates Memorial Building, Trinity College, Dublin]]

Third-level education in Ireland includes all education after second-level, encompassing higher education in universities and colleges and further education on Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) and other courses.

The degree-awarding institutions which can grant awards at all academic levels are the University of Dublin, National University of Ireland (Cork, Dublin, Galway and Maynooth), University of Limerick, Dublin City University, Technological University Dublin, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Munster Technological University, Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest, Atlantic Technological University and South East Technological University, as well as St Patrick's College, Maynooth (Pontifical University). Quality and Qualifications Ireland, a State agency, can grant awards in other institutions directly, or delegate the authority to do so. The King's Inns of Dublin has a limited role in education specialising in the preparation of candidates for the degree of barrister-at-law to practice as barristers. Medical schools in Ireland also have particular regulation. There were seven establishments of higher education within Ireland ranked among the top 500 universities worldwide by the Times Higher Education Supplement in 2023.

Framework

{| class="wikitable sortable"

! EQF level

! EHEA cycle

! NFQ level

! Major award types

| rowspan="2" | 1

| rowspan="6" |  

| 1

| Level 1 Certificate

| 2

| Level 2 Certificate

| 2

| 3

| Level 3 Certificate Junior Certificate

| 3

| 4

| Level 4 Certificate Leaving Certificate

| 4

| 5

| Level 5 Certificate Leaving Certificate

| rowspan="2" | 5

| rowspan="2" | 6

| Advanced Certificate

| Short cycle within 1st

| Higher Certificate

| rowspan="2" | 6

| rowspan="2" | 1st

| 7

| Ordinary Bachelor's degree

| 8

| Honours bachelor's degree Higher diploma

| 7

| 2nd

| 9

| Master's degree Postgraduate diploma

| 8

| 3rd

| 10

| Doctorate degree Higher doctorate

Governance, funding and quality assurance

Higher education policy is overseen by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. The Higher Education Authority (HEA) is the statutory planning and development body for higher education and research in Ireland, and is the funding authority for universities, institutes of technology and other designated higher education institutions.

The Higher Education Authority Act 2022 replaced the Higher Education Authority Act 1971 and provided for changes to the functions and governance of the HEA, including oversight of designated institutions of higher education. Designated institutions under the Act include established universities, technological universities, institutes of technology, the National College of Art and Design and certain other authorised providers.

Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) is the state agency responsible for promoting the quality, integrity and reputation of Ireland's further and higher education system. QQI also validates education and training programmes offered by providers within its remit.

Tertiary pathways

The National Tertiary Office was established within the Higher Education Authority in 2022 to develop joint further and higher education degree programmes. The office is jointly managed by the HEA and SOLAS. These tertiary programmes allow students to begin in further education before progressing to higher education to complete a fully accredited degree.

The development of tertiary pathways forms part of the Government's policy for a more unified tertiary system, intended to allow further education and training, higher education, and research and innovation to work more closely together.

Teaching and learning policy

The National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education operates under the auspices of the HEA and advises on teaching and learning enhancement in Irish higher education. In 2025, a new national Strategy for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education was launched to guide HEA policy, investment and sectoral engagement over the following three to five years. The HEA also published a national policy framework on generative AI in higher education teaching and learning in December 2025.

Institutions

Irish higher education institutions include universities, technological universities, institutes of technology, colleges of education and specialist institutions. Since the Technological Universities Act 2018, most former institutes of technology have amalgamated into five technological universities, with Dundalk Institute of Technology and Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology remaining as institutes of technology.

The Irish universities include the University of Dublin, better known by the name of its sole college, Trinity College Dublin, the four constituent universities of the National University of Ireland, two universities established in 1989, five technological universities formed by the amalgamation of Institutes of Technology and a professional medical institution. Some colleges are constituent colleges of universities, while others are designated institutions of the State agency Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), which succeeded the Higher Education and Training Awards Council. The latter include the remaining Institutes of technology in Ireland in Dundalk and Dún Laoghaire, Colleges of Education, and other independent colleges. Some colleges have "delegated authority" from QQI, this allows them to confer and validate awards in their own name.

Some institutions such as the University of Limerick, Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin), and Dublin City University (DCU) have completed a process of modularising their courses (others are still in a transition phase), mostly using the ECTS. The Bologna process and applied research are the current concerns of national educational policy, additional concerns include the structures of the National University of Ireland. In 2019 TU Dublin amalgamated three institutions in the Dublin region (Dublin Institute of Technology, Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown, and Institute of Technology, Tallaght), and in 2021 Munster Technological University amalgamated two institutions in the Munster region (Cork Institute of Technology, and Institute of Technology, Tralee), while the Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest was formed by the merger of Limerick Institute of Technology and Athlone Institute of Technology. The Atlantic Technological University, through the merger of Galway Mayo Institute of Technology, Institute of Technology, Sligo and Letterkenny Institute of Technology and South East Technological University with the merger of Institute of Technology, Carlow and Waterford Institute of Technology in 2022.

The Marks & Standards document, offered by most institutions, can be consulted for information on the range and criteria set down for awards, while programme specifications offer additional information. In contrast to practice in the rest of the education system, entry tends to be highly competitive for school leavers; the so-called "Points Race" administered by the Central Applications Office (CAO). In 2001 the percentage of school leavers transferring to third level exceeded 50% for the first time, while as of 2005 it was in excess of 55% and expected to grow at approximately 1% per annum for the next decade.

There are over 25 third-level courses at graduate and postgraduate level offered through the Irish language. Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge is the Irish language Department of the University of Galway and it has different off-campus centres throughout the Gaeltacht regions. Dublin City University has an Irish language department called Fiontar. University College Dublin (UCD), TU Dublin, and Atlantic Technological University (ATU) also offer similar courses.

All but two of the eleven universities in Ireland offer "open" (omnibus entry) Bachelor of Arts degrees through the CAO where the student can choose their specialisation after their first year of study. The two universities that do not offer "open" (omnibus entry) arts degrees, Trinity College Dublin and DCU, do still offer Bachelor of Arts degrees in specific areas of study such as Drama Studies, Journalism, Latin, History, Japanese, and International Relations.

In one, Trinity College Dublin, the applicants wishing to read an Arts degree may apply to the college to read a combination of two subjects, such as French and Philosophy – which the student may continue to read jointly or with focus on one. DCU's de facto omnibus entry arts degree is offered by St. Patrick's College of Education (a college of DCU) and is titled "BA in Humanities". All Hallows College (a college of DCU) offer BA in humanities, theology pastoral care, and English.

Entry into higher education institutions is normally done through the CAO. In this way, students wishing to enter university apply to the CAO rather than the individual university. Places in courses are usually awarded based on results in the Leaving Certificate Examination or any international equivalent. Each university has a minimum entry requirement, usually requiring a pass grade in either English or Irish, as well as maths. Some also require a pass grade in a modern continental European language (French, German, Spanish or Italian). Each individual course has further entry requirements, for example, science courses usually require a certain grade in one or two sciences. The student must also achieve the number of points required for the course under the points system. However, universities also have systems in place for accepting mature students, and students who have successfully completed a Post Leaving Certificate or Further Education course.

Entry into third-level is generally very high in Ireland (as it also is in Northern Ireland), and among young adults (those aged 25 to 34), 41.6% of them have attained third-level degrees—the second highest level in the EU after Cyprus, and substantially ahead of the average of 29.1%. Broken down by gender, approximately 43% of women and 40% of men Ireland attend third level education.

International students

Ireland's higher education system includes a substantial international student population. According to HEA statistics, there were 44,535 non-Irish domiciled enrolments in publicly funded higher education institutions in 2024/25, including 32,940 non-EU enrolments. The most common non-Irish domiciles were India, the United States and China.

Participation and enrolment

In 2024/25, there were 278,880 student enrolments across all modes of study in Ireland's publicly funded higher education institutions, an increase of 4.9% from 265,905 in 2023/24. Undergraduate enrolments accounted for 212,345 students, while postgraduate enrolments accounted for 66,535 students. These requirements include:

Holding EU nationality, or being a national of a member country of the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom or Switzerland, or having been granted official refugee status.
Having been resident in an EU Member State for at least three of the five years preceding entry to the course.
Not undertaking a second undergraduate course.

Students are required to pay a student contribution charge. The charge replaced the former registration fee, which had been criticised as an unofficial fee.

The student contribution was reduced on a temporary basis in several budgets during the early 2020s. In Budget 2026, the Government announced a permanent €500 reduction in the student contribution charge, reducing the maximum annual charge from €3,000 to €2,500. For the 2025/26 academic year, students eligible for the Free Fees Initiative are required to pay a student contribution charge of €2,500 per year.

The Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) conferred awards in the extra-university system. Further education has expanded immensely in recent years helped by the institutions, and because of this the type and range of these awards have been formalised to restore confidence. There are a number of schemes enabling progression for holders of QQI awards to universities and institutes of technology. QQI awards carry points that can be used to access higher education.

Grade inflation

Ireland has a higher proportion of third-level graduates than any other EU country. At the same time, the proportion of graduates with first-class honours has reached record levels. There is disagreement about whether this increase is due to improved methods of instructing increasingly motivated students, or simple grade inflation. Former president Michael D. Higgins believes that it is due to grade inflation, and has expressed concern about the continued quality and value of university degrees. Whatever the reason might be, employers increasingly examine graduates' extracurricular activities, work experiences, and soft skills as they search for the most able applicants.

List of higher education establishments

These are lists of colleges and universities within Ireland; some colleges are constituent colleges of universities.

Universities

Recognised as Universities under the Universities Act, 1997 as amended:

Dublin City University
National University of Ireland
Maynooth University
University of Galway
University College Cork
University College Dublin
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
University of Limerick
University of Dublin
Trinity College

Technological Universities

Technological Universities have been formed by the merger of former Institutes of Technology.

Atlantic Technological University
Munster Technological University
South East Technological University
Technological University Dublin
Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest

Institutes of technology

Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology
Dundalk Institute of Technology

Pontifical University

St Patrick's College, Maynooth (also known as Maynooth College or the Pontifical University at Maynooth)
Marino Institute of Education
National College of Art and Design
Shannon College of Hotel Management
Military College, Curragh Camp
National Ambulance Service College

State-aided and chartered institutions

Honorable Society of King's Inns York St John University since 2014.)
Irish Management Institute
Kimmage Development Studies Centre (merged into Maynooth University)
Mallow College of Further Education
Newman College Ireland
Pitman Training Ireland
Portobello Institute in Connemara and O'Connell House in Dublin from which students study at Trinity or UCD
Open University – the UK based Open University has an Irish office in Dublin
Sacred Heart University – has an Irish studies base in Dingle, County Kerry

Foreign institutions who validate programmes in Ireland

Historically a number of institutions, including seminaries such as St. Patrick's, Carlow College, St. Kieran's College, Kilkenny, St. Patrick's College, Thurles, and Tullabeg College, would have prepared students for examinations with the University of London. In recent years a number of mainly private colleges have had programmes accredited by UK universities.

University of Chester – National Training Centre, Dublin
University of Dundee – in partnership with Ballyfermot College of Further Education since 2004
University of East London – Institute of Child Education Psychology Europe, Dublin and Chevron Training and Recruitment
Heriot-Watt University – Griffith College, Limerick
University of Hull – Christian Leadership in Education Office, Cork, since 1993
University of Hull – validated programmes at the Irish School of Ecumenics (1972–1982)
Liverpool John Moores University – validated programmes for DBS
London Metropolitan University – Portobello Institute
Middlesex University – PCI College, Dublin
University of Northumbria – Law Society of Ireland
Nottingham Trent University – validated degrees for Griffith College
University of Reading – Irish Management Institute
University of Ulster – Irish Times Training and Marino Institute of Education
University of Wales – validated degrees for Portobello College, The Priory Institute and Irish Bible Institute
University of Wales Trinity Saint David – validates MBA programme at IBAT College, Dublin
University of West London – British/Irish Modern Music Institute, Dublin
University of the West of Scotland – Filmbase, Dublin
University of Wolverhampton – Coláiste Dhúlaigh College of Further Education, Coolock and Edenmore
York St John University – Irish Bible Institute since 2014
York St John University – validated the Carmelite Institute of Britain and Ireland Masters programme from 2012 to 2016
Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas – award degrees at the Dominican Studium, St. Saviour’s Priory, Dublin
St John's College, Nottingham – has validated programmes with the Church of Ireland Theological Institute. St John's College closed in 2019.

Defunct institutions

The following are defunct institutions, due to closure or merger. This list does not include institutions that were renamed.

Albert Agricultural College (1838–1979), part of UCD from 1926 to 1979; NIHE Dublin (now DCU) was built on its grounds, incorporating some of its buildings
All Hallows College (1842–2016), now part of Dublin City University
HSI College